Toilet seat and cover operator



Sept. 7, 1 "3. B. P. zULKosKl 1 2,092,707

TOILET SET AND COVER OPERATOR Filed July 27, 1956 23/ f I 2f/9% l 522/220 BY W- ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 7, 17937y iJNITED s'rarss PATENT OFFICE 2,092,707` TOILET SEAT AND COVER OPERATOR Bruno P. Zulkoski, Clarksburg, W. Va. Application July 27, 1936, Serial No. 92,900

4 Claims.

This invention relates to toilet seat and cover operators and has for an object to providefnovel apparatus for lifting a toilet seat and cover without the necessity of using the hands or touching in any way.

A further object is to provide a hydraulically operated device which `will gently raise the seat and cover and gently lower the same sothat danger of breakage of the parts will be eliminated.

A further object is to provide in connection with a Xed hydraulic cylinder having a foot operated piston, a rotatable sleeve carrying a hydraulic cylinder, the piston of which is pivotally connected to the seat, the sleeve permittingV the last named cylinder to yswivel during raising and lowering the seat so that ease of operation will` be greatly promoted.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification,

Figure l is a plan view of toilet seat and cover lifting apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus in applied position.

Figure 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawing in -which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, Il) designates a toilet having a seat II and a cover I2 hinged to the toilet at I3, these parts all being conventional. The operator comprising the subject matter of this invention comprises a stationary cylinder I4 extending at a forward angle from a base I5 which is fixed to the floor by screws I6 or other connectors. A piston I1 is slidably mounted in the cylinder and is provided with a piston rod I8 which is equipped at the top with a pedal I9. A spring 253 encircles the piston rod between the pedal and the cylinder and normally holds the pedal raised and the piston at its upper limit of movement. I

The pedal is providedy with an arm 2|: which extends below and transversely of the pedal and is adapted to be received by a hooked spring pressed pawl 22 which is pivotally mounted as shown at23 to a standard 24 which supports the upper end of the cylinder I4 on the base I5. The arm ZI rides over the pawl and lodges back of the hook 23 thereof to. hold the piston I'I at its lower limit of movement and thus hold the seat and the cover raised, as will presently `beA described. When the pawl 22 is rocked downwardly by thel operators foot against thev tension of its spring, 23, the arm 2| will be released whereupon the spring 2l)4 returns the pedaland the piston to:neutral.position. I l

The cylinder I4 is provided with a lateral nipple 29 which rotatably receives a sleeve 2'I, best shown in Figure 4, the sleeve being provided with a boss 23 between which, and a cap 29, threaded on the nipple, packing material 30 is interposed to make the joint leak-tight.

The sleeve terminates in a ball connection 3I having a branch 32 into which is threaded the lower end of a cylinder 33, this cylinder being of greater length but smaller in diameter than the cylinder I4 so that when the water, oil, or other uid pressure medium in the cylinder II4 is forced into the cylinder 33 the piston 34 in the cylinder 33 will travel a greater rectilinear distance than the piston I1 in the cylinder I4, as will be understood.

The upper end of the cylinder 33 is closed by a cap 35 and a spring 36 surrounds the piston rod 31 between the cap and the piston which spring is compressed by downward movement of the seat and the cover to cushion such downward movement and also to assist in elevating the seat and the cover when the foot pedal is depressed.

An attaching plate 38 is bolted to the upper end of the piston rod 3l, as shown at 39, and is secured to the underneath face of the seat II by screws 40 or other connectors.

In operation the operator depresses the foot pedal I9 to force the uid pressure medium ahead of the piston I1 and against the piston 34 which forces out the piston rod 31, the sleeve 2l swiveling in the nipple 26 sufliciently to permit the cylinder 33 to rock on a horizontal axis from the position in full lines to the position in dotted linesshown in Figure 2 whereby to lift the seat II and cover I2 to the dotted line position. When the foot pedal nears its lower limit of movement the arm ZI catches in rear of the hook 23 of the pawl 22 which latter thereupon holds the foot pedal stationary to hold the seat and the cover raised. To lower the seat and the cover it is merely necessary to step on the pawl 22 to 5 depress it suiiiciently to release the arm 2l whereupon the spring 20, gives the initial impulse to raise the foot pedal and subsequently the weight of the cover and the seat forces the piston rod 31 downwardly to push out the iiuid pressure medil um ahead of the piston I1 and permit lowering of the seat cover, the seat being cushioned during such lowering movement by compression of the spring 35 which latter tends to make elevation of the seat and the cover easier when the foot l pedal I9 is next depressed.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. A toilet seat and cover operator comprising a xed hydraulic cylinder, a piston therein, a pedal carried by said piston, a rotatable sleeve communicating with the cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder carried by the sleeve, a piston in the last named cylinder, means engageable with said pedal for locking said first piston in its lower position, and means for connecting the last named piston to the seat, said sleeve permitting of the last named cylinder pivoting around the axis of rotation of the sleeve during raising and lowering of the seat.

2. A toilet seat and cover operator comprising a forwardly extending stationary hydraulic cylinder, a piston therein, a pedal carried by said piston, means engageable with said pedal for locking the piston at its lower limit of move ment, a lateral nipple on the cylinder, a sleeve rotatably mounted in the nipple, a hydraulic cylinder carried by the sleeve, a piston in the last named cylinder, a bracket for securing the last named piston to the toilet seat, and a spring associated with the last named piston for cushioning downward movement of the seat and assisting in elevating the seat when the foot operated piston is depressed.

3. A toilet seat and cover operator comprising an upwardly and forwardly extending hydraulic cylinder, a second hydraulic cylinder pivotally mounted on the rst named hydraulic cylinder, means for connecting the second named cylinder to a toilet seat, pistons in both cylinders, a foot pedal carried by the piston of the rst named hydraulic cylinder, a laterally extending arm on the pedal, and a spring pawl pivotally mounted below the first named cylinder and adapted to engage said arm and yieldably hold the piston of the rst named cylinder at its lower limit of movement.

4. A toilet seat and cover operator comprising a base, an upwardly and forwardly inclined cylinder iixed to said base, a piston slidable in said cylinder, a rod secured to said piston and extending outwardly of said cylinder, a pedal xed to the outer end of said rod, a spring about said rod constantly urging said piston to an uppermost inoperative position, coacting means carried by said base and said pedal for releasably holding said piston in a lower operative position, a second cylinder, means connecting said second cylinder with said first cylinder, a second piston in said second cylinder, and means connecting said second piston to a seat.

BRUNO P. ZULKOSKI. 

